Rear cassette Busted!!!

[janolsson]

Rear cassette Busted!!! Now Fixed

Well the inevitable has happened, the plastic guide in rear cassette on my truck has broken.
For a couple of months i have been getting a little rattle on start up and a clicking at idle. But in the last couple of days it has got worse.
So today i thought i would whip off the cam cover and have a look. The plastic guide is in bits and the chain is chewing its way through the upper guide securing bolt.
Now i happen to have laying around a brand new rear casstte as i bought a spare when i got the timing parts for my spare engine (which i sold). I got the spare as i had intended to redo mine as the rear guide was a frankenstein of 2 other guides that were broken in opposite sides, but both were old!

However i didn't get spare jackshaft bolt and cover so if anyone has these laying around that you want to sell then let me know, otherwise i'll be off to the stealership on monday.


Now the big dilema. Do i whip the engine out or do i give it a go just moving the tranny for ***** and giggles
I'm airing on the side of dropping the tranny as this means the coolant and power steering fluid stays, the bonnet stays on so i can close it if it starts to bucket down. Also i'm struggling to find an engine crane without hiring one.

The main downside i can see doing it this way is removeing all the bits of plastic guide, if it was on a stand i coud just turn it upsidedown

Wish me luck

 

[SB98UKexplorer]

i was shown a hole drilled into the fire wall of a stripped north face and he performed the cassette job easily with the extra room

 

[janolsson]

cheers steve but the bell housing covers the guide lower securing bolt and the rear jackshaft bolt

 

[Ilikemice]

I may be able to lend you an engine crane if it's any use. I'm local-ish

 

[janolsson]

I may be able to lend you an engine crane if it's any use. I'm local-ish

Thanks rob but i have no way to pick it up and i wouldn't dream of asking you to get it to me.
I may have one available locally if my mate can get hold of the guy he lent it to a year ago!!
I am resigned to doing it the hard way and dropping the tranny

 

[ihpj]

Wish you were closer Jan, as I would have loved to give you a hand!

Maybe post pictures as you go? At least then we can be with you in spirit.

All the best with it.

 

[janolsson]

Thanks Saf

Well today i cracked on in earnest.

God i wish i had just hired an engine crane and whipped the engine out. I know i could have got it out in 4 hrs.
Had to wrestle the tranny to the floor using ratchet straps and cradle and jack.
Then into the engine bay to clear the cam cover and remove.
I then locked off the flywheel (at TDC)using a spaced old sprocket and one of the gearbox mount holes and bolt.

Fitted the cam locking tools, struglled to get the front one on but managed with a wiggle. The rear one i had the jack the rear of the engine to get enough clearance on the firewall to get the tool in.

With everything locked off i removed the jack bolt cover, now this came out easy and pretty much undamaged so i could have reused it but i have a new bolt and cover now so will use those.
The jackshaft bolt came out easy enough as did the cassette lower bolt even with me reaching up blind. Obviously i have done this on an engine stand before so i knew what size bits and where they are etc but i have had one jackshaft bolt not want to come out before so it was a relief this one came out!!

The cam sprocket bolt came undone also and that is where i left it as the light was fading and my stomach was rumbling.

Oh earlier i took the fan and shroud off to ease access to the torque converter nuts ( I use a couple of extension bars from the front thro to the TC) and whilst i had access i thought i wouold check my pulleys as i have been getting a squeaking from cold. I found the tensioner pulley was a little dry so i popped the cover off the bearing and regreased it. Felt a lot better so hopefully it'll be good for a few more miles yet. If i need to i could get a replacement bearing for a couple of £ from my guy at Leic Bearings Co.

I forgot to take my camera so i'll try and remember it tomorrow and take some pics.

 

[chrisquelch]

hi jan
just admit you like getting down and dirty.
cheers chris

 

[ihpj]

Had to wrestle the tranny to the floor...

Haha! I just read that bit and my mind just wondered

Looking forward to the pictures

 

[janolsson]

:bsnicker: He said tranny

Ha Ha

I apollogise in advance if the pics are not too exciting. There wasn't much to see really. Some of the work was done blind, by touch.

Yesterday i got the new rear casstte in and the transmission bolted up to the engine but supported by jack at the rear.
It took me 4 hrs to get that bad boy lined up and bolted to the block. With the straps and 2 jacks i just couldn't get it to line up.

With the old cassette out i was able to fish out all the bits of guide using a flexible gripper. Piecing them together it appears there are some small chips missing that must have dropped into the sump. I will drop the pan next time i do an oil change to see what i can find.

To take the rear cassette out the cam has to be locked off at the fornt and rear. There is also a tool that is a kinked to fit the sprocket bolt as there isn't space to get a socket and driver in there. as you will see below;

As you can see in the pic there is a bolt with a T30 head that should be holding the top of the plastic guide. Again there wasn't room to get a driver in there so i got a 1/4" socket that holds a T30 bit and ground a hex on it so i could fit a 10mm flexihead ratchet spanner on it. Had a moment upon refitting as i dropped the bit down the back of the head, but managed to find it with a flexible long reach magnet.

I mentioned locking off the flexplate (i think i said flywheel) so here is a photo of it. I did still use the locking tool on the harmonic balancer.

And here is the new cassette fitted and you can clearly see the plastic guide on the inboard side that is awol in the earlier pic.

Because the guide was awol the chain was rubbing on the fixing bolt so i replaced this even tho i could have got away with it as the old one had enough on it to securely hold the guide.

Today was just a matter of bolting everything up; rear gearbox mount, torque converter, front and rear drive shafts, starter motor, left cat, rear skid plate, reattach the transmission cooler lines (that was a mission), transmission dip stick, cam cover, heater coolant lines, top hose, various vac hoses, coil pack and ht leads, fan and shroud and finally top engine cover.

I disconnected the crank sensor and turned her over for a few seconds to get oil presure up so the rear tensioner bolt was up to task and to make sure that it was only cranking speed to listen for any nasty clanking. Thankfully all sounded normal. So reconnected the cps and she fired right up and no chain rattle.

An yes Chris i did get down and dirty particularily as we had rain and freezing hale today and lets just say that my drive has more than its share of oil dripped on it in front of the garage.

I thank you

 

[ihpj]

Looks like a job well done man; certainly with the weather against you it seems you persevered and got through it. You Sir, have my admiration.

These types of threads do worry me as I don't have the necessary skill to put things right if my truck were to go wrong like this - might have to scrap her

Glad you're all sorted...all ready for Ford Fair then?

 

[ihpj]

{Duplicate Post Removed}

 

[kevin p]

Well done Jan. Well done.

 

[JonC]

Awesome dedication - as usual - if anyone can, Jan can!!